Port Blair, Aug 01: World Breast Feeding Week is celebrated every year in 170 countries of the world as a part of the effort initiated by the Health Agencies like WHO, UNICEF, WABA, etc. to promote and support the breast feeding practices, so that the health of the world’s children will be enhanced. This will go a long way in reducing the neonatal, infant and under-5 children mortality. Breast feeding has enormous advantages, which every child should benefit from and these advantages are to be propagated to every mother, father and family as a whole.
Breast feeding is a natural biological support, devised by the nature and it is baby specific. Breast milk comes with all necessary nutrients, disease preventive substances and natural soothing principle and protective factors, which are not available with any artificial infant milk substitutes. Exclusive breast feeding for 6 months offers enormous health benefits to the growing child and the child will be healthy and have a disease free childhood, if nurtured with breast milk. Breast milk is a boon to the mother and baby and it is the key to the success of motherhood and key to attaining “Sustainable Developmental Goals” to improve health indicators of any nation and world at large. Let us join hands to promote breast feeding for our infant population and support breast feeding for all the children of the world.
The World Breast Feeding Week will be celebrated with full enthusiasm at the ANIIMS and G B Pant Hospital from 1st to 7th August 2016. Theme of this year is “Breast Feeding- Key to sustainable developmental goals”. Programme will start with Inauguration by Maj. Gen. (Dr) R P Choubey, VSM (Retd.), Director, ANIIMS.
The importance of breast feeding is stressed several fold during World Breast Feeding Week and also through the whole year. The theme and the components are to be elaborated by paediatric consultants of ANIIMS by answering important queries of viewers regarding breast feeding through Doordarshan on 1st of August 2016. We also propose to have a Lactation Management Cell at G B Pant Hospital, ANIIMS so that the mothers who have lactation problems can seek help from experts of Paediatric Department of ANIIMS at G B Pant Hospital. The Director and the faculty of the Department give full support for the programme and many mothers are likely to benefit from it.
On day 2 we will have an “Open House” for breast feeding mothers and fathers of antenatal and postnatal wards of ANIIMS to clarify doubts on lactation.
On Day 3, an outreach programme is arranged for the community at PHC Chouldari, by the Departments of Paediatrics and PSM, ANIIMS.
On Day 4 a Quiz programme, Poster, slogans, and elocution competition for ANMs and nursing staff of ANIIMS and other PHCs and CHCs are to be conducted at G B Pant Hospital.
All through the week there will be several programmes for the hospital staff and patients and on the last day during valedictory function, prizes and certificate of merit will be distributed to the participants.
